Neste, a Finnish company, has set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon-neutral production by 2035. To reach this objective, the company is undertaking a 120 MW electrolyzer project to produce renewable (green) hydrogen at its Porvoo refinery in Finland.

The green hydrogen will be used in the Porvoo refinery’s processes, replacing hydrogen produced from fossil feedstocks. The project is expected to be completed by 2026, if the investment decision is made in early 2024.

Neste’s project is one of the largest development projects to produce green hydrogen in European refineries, aiming to make the Porvoo refinery the most sustainable in Europe by 2030. The company’s commitment to decarbonizing its production processes is significant as it demonstrates the role of green hydrogen in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Green hydrogen production also generates renewable heat. Neste has started a preliminary study with Porvoon Energia, a regional Finnish energy company focusing on heat and electricity production, on using renewable heat in district heating. This study highlights the potential for renewable energy sources to be integrated into the wider energy system.

Neste’s hydrogen projects at Porvoo refinery contribute significantly to the European Union’s green hydrogen value chain. In July 2022, Neste became the first Finnish company to receive IPCEI (Important Project of Common European Interest) status from the European Commission for its hydrogen projects. In December 2022, Business Finland awarded Neste EUR 27.7 million of public funding for its renewable hydrogen projects at the Porvoo refinery.

Neste’s green hydrogen project is a step towards sustainable and carbon-neutral production. It demonstrates how companies can use renewable energy sources to reduce their carbon footprint while contributing to developing the green hydrogen value chain.